Gehenna Spawn
by KingIradescense
Summary: Oh, wait. I suppose it's not really my heart. Right now, I'm Ishiguro Maeko. What a fitting name; Maeko, a name for someone who tells the truth. I can hear Erza Scarlet's heart shattering. Clink, clink, clink. (I've had this idea for awhile. Little fake cosplay with a friend in real. Edited the dialogue a bit... and voila! Probably no pairings. T is only for safety.)
1. Chapter 1

~?'s POV~

The sound of a horse's hooves clopping against the pavement below me.

_Clop, clop, clop, clop, clop._

The sound of the rain hitting the same pavement around me.

_Patter, patter, patter, patter._

Combined.

_ClopPatterClopPatterClopPatterClopPatterClopPatterClopPatter._

I sighed, tired of these noises. I sat up, looking around the carriage I sat inside of. The world is more modern than this.

At least, this world is.

Unless you're one of those people who like to ride horse-drawn carriages or you'r just experiencing it for the first time, or something like that... Why am I taking a carriage in the first place? I didn't want to.

I sighed again, turning to look out the window, playing with my red hair a little. 4 long years, it has been.

Not that the 4 years have been terrible. There's only so many experiences in one's lifetime. Why would you want to consider them terrible if there are only so few? Well, I guess I have a right. I have unlimited experiences. Woohoo. Lucky me.

I suppose I consider them long because of the guilt upon my shoulders.

Not because of where I was or because of what I had to do or anything like that.

Just guilt.

What guilt, you ask?

The guilt of letting my _friends_, no, more like my _family_ think I've been _dead_ for the last 4 years.

If you're wondering how I know that they're dead, the answer is quite simply and quite clear.

I've been watching them.

Now, don't look at me like that! It's not as though I was stalking them, much less have I been in the same dimension as them. I simply check on them from this side of the mirror from time to time to make sure they're okay. To see how they're surviving in this not-so-friendly reality.

In this _harsh_ reality.

And I miss them and care about them, a whole lot.

But now I have to face them.

Just not as the person they knew.

As the person they knew in disguise.

I can't believe I'm doing this, though. I've wanted to see them - in PERSON - not in a stalker kind of way - for 4 years. But now I'm starting to have second thoughts. I'm not so very sure...

I mean, what am I supposed to do when I get there? What am I supposed to talk to them about? I have to pretend I don't know them. I have to pretend I don't know them, that I don't miss them, that I don't know anything about anything. This is going to be hard.

The carriage came to a stop, but the rain kept coming down.

_Patter, patter, patter, patter._

There was a quiet thud, and then another thud.

_Patter, patter, patter, thud, patter, patter, thud, patter._

There was a click, and the sound of cloth rubbing harshly against metal, as though an umbrella was opening.

_Patter, patter, patter, click, patter, open._

Quiet thuds neared the door on my right side.

_Patter, patter, thud, patter, thud, patter, patter, patter, thud, thud, patter, thud._

The doorknob clicked as the door creaked open.

_Patter, patter, click, patter, patter, creeeeeaaaak, patter, patter, patter._

The driver stood there, umbrella in hand.

"Time to go, Mistress." He stated calmly, moving out of the pathway and holding the door open for me. I nodded blankly in response, scooting over to the right side of the carriage, swinging my legs around, and hopping out of the carriage, ignoring the hand held out to me by the driver and immediately walking off. I knew where I was going, anyway. The driver quickly caught up to me, holding the umbrella over my head. I hoped that we never stopped walking.

But I knew it would, sooner rather than later, so I concentrated on the sounds around me once more.

The rain pelted the top of the umbrella.

_Patter, patter, patter._

The rain was plinking into puddles.

_Plink, plink, plink._

It was dripping off of everything exposed.

_Drip, drip, drip._

Our footsteps on the pavement, in the puddles.

_Splash, splash, splash, thud, thud, thud._

Finally, we arrived at the train station. I didn't bother to say anything to the driver. He knew what to do. I just kept heading in, while the driver tipped his cap and turned back. I kept making my way through the twists and turns of the structure, until I finally made it into the empty bathroom. I stared into the mirror, at my red hair, and my brown eyes, at my face. I didn't know when I would see this face again. I sighed and dropped my head - the lights came on and off again, and I looked into the mirror once more...

and saw someone else standing in my place.

Instead, I saw a 5'2", skinny girl with shoulder-length, puffy black hair, a golden eye and a blue eye, a cute, small nose, a mouth just small enough to be considered small, a slender, graceful figure, and some small feet. I'd guess myself to be about the age of... 17? 18? Old enough for where I'm going.

As for clothing, I was wearing a crimson, faded blouse that was slightly puffed at the shoulders and had 3, small, yellow buttons in a vertical line in the middle of the shirt collar, and black, skin-tight capris that were slightly folded over at the bottom, the bottom being above halfway down my shins. On my feet, I wore jet black track shoes. Behind me was a small suitcase on wheels with the handle sticking out.

The train is leaving in 3 minutes. Gotta hurry.

I grabbed the suitcase and rushed off, making it just in time, jumping on the train as soon as I got there. Time to leave Gehenna, and go back to Assiah.

(Line Skip)

Here I am - True Cross Town. I just need to change and get over to the ceremony.

(Line Skip)

Lucy is right behind me. Gray, Natsu, and Jellal are in the boy's row right next to me. I can hear them whispering to each other, and it's breaking me. How badly I want to announce myself to them. It hurts so much...

I can feel my hear throbbing. I can feel it hurting. I can hear it -

Oh, wait. I suppose it's not really my heart. Right now, I'm Ishiguro Maeko. What a fitting name; Maeko, a name for someone who tells the truth.

I can hear Erza Scarlet's heart shattering.

_Clink, clink, clink._


	2. Chapter 2

~'Ishiguro's' POV~

I sighed and dropped right into the seat at the back of the room. I wasn't here to learn, anyway. I actually don't know WHY I'm here. All I know is that I was offered, and I accepted; but at the same time, I doubt it was an option.

Well, only 4 classes until lunch. Only 4 more... long... boring... hours. And then lunch. And about another 2 and a half hours. And I had to go to the cram school; which I was only INFORMED ABOUT TODAY. YAY ME. I settled myself into a comfortable position with my head in the palm of my hand.

I suppose I've changed. 4 years ago, I wouldn't be so... slack, I guess. Slack, inattentive, quieter, unresponsive, colder, almost like a tsundere; except I doubt I would warm up to anybody.

I didn't only change physically, but I guess I changed mentally, too. Erza Scarlet of the past, I guess.

I sighed inwardly this time, and shut my eyes, ready to sleep away most of the morning.

(Line Skip)

This day just keeps dragging on... Afternoon classes just finished, and now I need to sit through an hour or so of cram school. I fumbled with my keys and dropped them repeatedly at a locked door somewhere in the far corner of the school. By the time I found the key I was looking for and jammed it into the lock and went into the room, I was swearing heavily under my breath. In a short while, I sat behind but close to the middle of the classroom, in the middle row. There was no one else here yet. Upon checking my watch, I realized I was about 10 minutes already.

Oh, well. I guess I can clock out for a few minutes.

And that's exactly what I did. Until I heard the sound of a door behind closed harshly, almost slammed, but at the same time it wasn't slammed. I sleepily opened my eyes and forced myself to sit up, stifling a yawn. The teacher appeared to be a middle-aged, brown-haired, golden-eyed man with some stubble on his lower face and a black eye-patch over his... left eye, it seemed like.

"Hey, are you new, too?" I heard a female whispering in my ear. I turned my head to look at the female in question, and guess who?

Lucy Heartfilia.

I felt my heart drop 10 stories, and 10 times more after that, and yet another 10 times more after that. Automatically, I looked around the room. Around me sat Natsu, Jellal, Gray, and some blonde-haired guy with a puppet. But I just shrugged in response. "New to the school but not the class." I answered simply after my shrug in a timed sequence.

"Really? Would you mind helping me?" She blurted it out in a whisper, before clasping a hand over her mouth, smiling in a kind of embarrassed way. "I mean... I've dealt with the general concept of this class, but not exorcism itself... Honestly, I'm pretty nervous." She rubbed the back of her head, eyes closed, facing forward, smiling awkwardly.

"Depends." I said almost harshly. I regretted it as soon as I said it, but moments later I didn't. I shut my eyes momentarily before facing forwards. I could already feel my heart becoming stony. It was an attribute I'd gained soon after my entrance in Gehenna. Here comes the tsundere part.

"Depends on what?" She seemed taken aback by the way I had answered.

"Just... depends." I said almost... angrily. And I felt angry. My reason? I felt angry at the fact she didn't know what it depended on. Why, though? 'Depends' isn't really a fair answer to give someone and expect them to know exactly what it means.

She seemed slightly hurt by what I said, and after an 'Ok' she quieted down and paid attention as the lesson went on.

Before long a half hour had passed, and Lucy hadn't said a word or made any notions towards me. Just paid attention and took notes. I, on the other hand, leaned forward, slightly over the desk, trying not to fall asleep. At some point, though, Lucy tapped my shoulder gently behind the teach'er back. Withholding a grumble, I turned my stiff, harsh, unforgiving gaze on her. She seemed to crumble under it for a moment, but said what she wanted to say anyway.

"If I... If I did anything to anger you, I'm... I'm sorry..." She whispered quietly. My heart didn't warm or melt or anything like that. No; that happened in stories and fairy tales. Instead, I was just a bit... surprised. I didn't feel bad, I had no regret, and quite honestly I was in an extremely pleasant daydream up until the point she oh-so-rudely interrupted.

"It's fine." I said, grumbling and sighing at the same time as I turned to face forwards again and rested my head, sinking back into my daydream as everything around me became a blur.

What I'd assume to be another 15 minutes later, I distantly heard my name being called.

"Ishiguro? Ishiguro?" I heard a male voice saying my name. I lifted up my head and withdrew from yet another pleasant daydream, to see the teacher - and the other students - staring at me. I failed to be bothered by it, though. I failed to feel a lot of things.

"Yes?" I absentmindedly licked my dry lips.

"Seraphims are the kin of who?" He worded it rather strangely, but I pushed that aside and answered the question.

"Lucifer, demon king of light ." The teacher seemed surprised that I had answered it correctly, and decided to test the ice a bit more, it seemed.

"Dekalp?" He tried yet again. I tried to keep a smile from forming on my face; and I did it quite successfully.

"Amaimon, demon king of earth." He seemed to be searching his memory for something harder. Oh, well. I'll let him take his time.

"What about reapers?" He seemed to be getting angry at this point.

"Egyn, king of water." I lowered my head slightly, still looking at him, everyone still staring at me.

"...Alright." He finally gave in and continued the lesson, and I just sank back into my daydream.

* * *

Scarlet: ...

Alexia : ...Is something wrong with my narrating?

Scarlet: ...No, it's not that.

Alexia: (Holds up baseball bat.) What's wrong?

Scarlet: ...Don'tchu dare.

Alexia: (Slowly puts it away.) Pweeeeaaaaassseeee?

Scarlet: ...The beginning of the chapter was the way I wanted it to go, but the ending wasn't. Kinda strange, but I wasn't sure how to shape it that way. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET AN IDEA AND WITHIN THE FIRST TWO MINUTES PLAN OUT 24 SCENES THAT WILL PROBABLY NEVER MAKE IT IN!

Alexia: ...Isn't that why you get insane ideas in the first place and then tone them down?

Scarlet: Pretty much... Well, we should close the curtain.

Alexia: Yeah. (Yanks rope.)

The curtain falls.

* * *

**Das vedania!**


	3. Chapter 3

~'Ishiguro's' POV~

Well, I made it through my first week of school. It's much more boring than I remember, especially if you already know what's being taught, but that doesn't really matter, I suppose.

We were just released from the last cram school class of the day, and I was the first one up and out of the room. Halfway to the dorm I heard my name being called distantly behind me, but shrugged it off and entered the dorm.

It's an abandoned dorm, but if I had said that from the start, this would sound more like a horror. Which it's not really.

I grabbed an apple from the refrigerator and went straight to the room I had claimed as my own, and collapsed on the bed, falling asleep. What felt like 5 minutes later, a loud yelling from downstairs, which annoyed me greatly. After wrestling with the bed sheets that I had managed to get myself tangled in, I fell off the bed when the yelling came back.

"ANSWER THE DOOR ALREADY!" It was a male's voice. I got up and took a random sneaker, opened the window, and threw the shoe at the person in question. I threw it too hard, though, and when it came in contact with his head he was thrown to the ground. As soon as the sneaker tumbled off to the side, I saw that I had thrown the sneaker as Natsu, who had been standing in front of Lucy, Jellal, and Gray. They now stared at me, and I was halfway out the window.

I was taken aback, but only for a split second. "DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU THAT I MIGHT BE TAKING A NAP!?" I screeched at him, still upset from being woken up. They seemed at a loss of words for my sudden, more aggressive behavior. I sighed. "Wait a moment." I pulled myself back inside the building, and a minute later, I opened the front door. Natsu was dusting himself off, a slight frown etched on his face.

"Hell you want?" I finally broke the silence. Natsu seemed to become angry again.

"Why were you so rude to Lucy?!" He yelled right back at me. I immediately though back to a few days ago, and just as quickly, my mind came back to the present.

"It's just the way I am." I stated blankly, staring him straight on in the eyes. I could actually see him... flinch under my gaze.

"And why are you like that?" He finally responded, having quieted down. I hadn't been expecting him to say something like that, and I felt my neck go cold as I searched my head for an answer - but I had none. I opened my mouth because I of the reflex I had developed to usually have an answer to a question I'm being asked, but no sound came out, since I had none, so I shut my mouth when I realized I was.

Natsu allowed a small smile to form on his lips.

_'He knew he gained ground.'_

I licked my dry lips. "So what do you want?" I finally came up with a question. His slight frown came back.

"...Mind if we come in?" He finally came up with something to respond with.

"Uhm... Sure." I moved aside, holding the door open. Natsu and Gray came right in, but Lucy and Jellal hesitated before they did enter.

Awhile later, we were all sitting in the dining area, by the kitchen. No one had said anything since we came in; my 'guests' sat next to each other, a little bit stiff, but I was just sitting so that my feet were on one chair, but I was actually sitting on the second chair over from it, my gaze never sitting on one spot for more than a moment. Eventually, I allowed my gaze to rest on them. They stared straight back at me.

"You want something to eat?" I suddenly spoke, my voice slightly softer than I had expected it to be, and I think we all jumped a bit when the silence was broken.

"Sure." Lucy had replied in a hurried fashion, sending a short glare towards Natsu and a short glare towards Gray.

"'Kay." I removed a piece of paper from my breast pocket with a circle drawn on it, bit my hand, and smeared some blood on the paper. They seemed surprised at what I was doing - as though they had no idea what I was doing. Which I got the idea that they didn't.

"Now this meal I stir and turn," I began chanting. Some purple light began to drift lightly around the paper in my hand. Everyone was staring. "So food may bless, and illness it burns; repair the body and fix the mind, and for the earth, and for myself I do in kind." I finished the chant, and a satyr-like demon with purple hair and golden eyes appeared, apparently having been doing something, as seen by his pose.

The 4 who sat across from me stared at him, unsure of what he was.

The demon, however, took one look at me, and began yelling in his own demonic language.

**"Why now, of all times! You know I'm busy at this hour!"**

"Tch. I wanted something to eat, so I summoned you. Simple as that. Sooner we get a meal, sooner you get to go back to what you were doing." And with that, they were even more surprised at the fact that I seemed able to understand what he was saying.

Ukobach made his way over to the kitchen and took a quick look around. He slowly turned around to look at us.

**"...THERE'S NO INGREDIENTS!" **

"Oh, yeah." I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, and allowed a smirk to come onto my face. "Can you make something purely of herbs?"

**"...Yeah, what do you take me for?"** He replied sarcastically, crossing his arms and huffing.

"Tch. Lemme get Nii." I took all the summoning papers from my breast pocket and shuffled through them, finding the one that I was looking for. "Ah, here we go." I put the others back into my breast pocket and bit my hand and smeared it on the paper again.

"Blessed herb, leave my spirit clean; brighten both my body and that of myself unseen." I started, a faint green light about the paper now. "I drink, and take this purity to become again both clean and free. As I will, so mote it be!"

A few popping noises later, and a little green creature with a flower on its head was looking around curiously. As soon as it spotted me, though, it actually laughed a little and somehow managed to, with a running start, jump and catch my hair between its tiny hands and swing around.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I missed you too, Nii, but Ukobach needs something to cook." I gestured to the still-upset stove spirit in the doorway of the kitchen. Nii, however, seemed delighted and hopped off my shoulder, accompanying Ukobach in the kitchen.

I then turned to face the other 4, who were still dumbstruck. "What?" I finally spoke, regaining my harsh tone.

"...What are those..?" Natsu finally asked. I shrugged, and replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world;

"They're summons."

"Summons?" He tilted his head. Gray seemed to have nothing to say, as did Lucy or Jellal.

"Y'know. A Tamer makes a blood sacrifice on a summoning circle and summons a demon, known as a summon or familiar. It's part of exorcism."

"Oh... So you're a.. tamer?"

"Ehh... That would be a bit of a technicality.

As though on cue, Ukobach walked in, juggling 5 trays and spreading them on the table and huffed.

"Alright, Ukobach. Cya later." I tore his particular summoning page in half, and he disappeared in a faint purple light. "You too, Nii." Nii waved with a cheerful expression as I ripped his summoning paper in half, and he disappeared in his own green light.

I gave thanks for my meal. "Dig in, I guess." I shrugged and began to eat.

* * *

Scarlet: ...Nii is cute.

Alexia: ...Yeah.

Scarlet: ...So you think that Ukobach looks like a satyr?

Alexia: ...That's what Wikipedia said. Satyr-like.

Scarlet: ...Oh.

Alexia: ...My narrating stinks sometimes. Plus, I'm watching Full House.

Scarlet: ...I'm going on textsfromlastnight.

Alexia: ...LAST YEAR WAS UNREAL!

Scarlet: ...Yes. Yes it was.

* * *

**Lots different than I wanted it to be. Later.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Eheh... heheheh... **

**...**

**I HAVE AN EXCUSE!**

**I've been super busy with school and stuff! I had my SHSAT's recently and I have two papers .**

**Anywho, I'm SO glad I managed to at least get this out on Halloween.**

**ALSO!**

**You guys NEED to download Tapastic. If you do, send you hearts out to Snailord. (Also, refer to him as a boy when using pronouns, no matter what, if you comment on his comix.) **

* * *

~'Ishiguro's' POV~

"And so, the training camp will be taken place at the abandoned dormitory on the far side of the campus, courtesy of Miss Ishiguro who suggested that we use it and does not mind." The teacher grinned, but I inwardly scowled. I didn't have much of a choice, anyway. Lucy made a sideways glance at me, but I don't know what I saw in her expression. Fear? Hope? Uncertainty? Hatred? Somewhere, deep down, buried in whatever of a heart I'd been left with after being stuck in Gehenna, I hoped it wasn't hatred. I _liked_ Lucy. I _like_ Lucy.

I _liked _and _like_ all of them. Natsu, Grey, Jellal... I still think of them as friends, somewhere in my heart. My crueler traits hadn't fully overridden that.

"The training camp will start on Friday. Be fully packed for a 3 day trip, and bring your luggage to class. You're dismissed." The teacher waved his hand in a dismissive manner, and I began to leave for the dorms.

This would be a long weekend.

* * *

~Still 'Ishiguro's' POV~

I came into class without my luggage, but there was an obvious reason. Everyone else, though, had come with one or two bags each. Class went on as normal, but at the end, the teacher led us to the abandoned dormitory. For some odd reason, he knew which floor my room was on, and assigned us all to the same floor. Girls on one side, boys on the other. Since it was generally two people to a room, Lucy and I got stuck together. Natsu and Jellal were stuck together, since Gray had requested a private room.

My nicer traits thought that I might get a second chance with Lucy. My crueler side was upset and wanted to push her away.

At the current moment, I was laying on my bed and staring at the ceiling, while Lucy quietly put some of her clothes into the closet in preparation of the upcoming 3 days. After awhile, the shuffling on the other side of the room ceased, and I cracked my left eye open, to see that she was just kind of standing there, looking around as though unsure of what to do. The empty suitcase on the floor showed me that she had finished taking all her stuff out.

"If you're bored..." My voice immediately turned all her attention to me. "Then you can go out, or something. Training doesn't start until later tonight." I turned over onto my stomach and fished my hand through the underside of my bed, until I found the comic book I was looking for and began to read it, uninterested in my temporary roommate. It didn't take long for me to hear the door open and close, and I released a sigh. I had to do something, anyway, but first I waited for about 45 minutes.

I carefully peeked from the doorway. The hallway was clear, so I quietly closed the door behind me. As soon as I heard the click, I darted down the hall and down the stairs, until I had gone out the door. Miraculously, I hardly made a noise. Even after I left the dorm, I didn't stop running, and I continued to sprint across the campus. Even more miraculously, but not necessarily good, I went ended up running straight into Natsu (honestly, he stepped right into my path). We both went rolling for a few feet. I hissed a bit, still shocked from that. Natsu was immediately on his feet and in a fighting stance, but soon saw me getting up.

"What the hell was that for?!" He yelled, gaining the passerby's momentary attention. I simply stood up, lowered my hands, and bowed. "Gomen." He seemed slightly surprised, but before he could say anything, I had straightened up and cleared my throat. Meanwhile, the wound had already half-closed, and Natsu caught a glimpse of that. "Uhh... What's going on with your scratches?" He seemed to be looking at my elbow. "Nothing. Well, gotta run." I turned around and began to sprint again, continuing on my path, carefully avoiding other people.

What seemed like some 20-minute's later, I reached a small fountain, which was the meeting point of 4 neat, short, small gray-silver stones. It was surrounded by neatly trimmed 1 1/2 grass, with an odd, yet beautiful tree at each corner of the small plot. It lacked leaves, but the long branches - that ultimately held a small circular shape - grew long and intertwined, eventually arching back into the main trunk and merging back into it. Although they didn't have their own leaves, as mentioned before, there were oddly-colored vines growing in a spiraling pattern over each and every branch. The dirt around the symmetrical roots had been shifted and loosened in order to keep the ground thoroughly flat so the plot would remain at a consistent height. The fountain itself, though, was made of a blackish-blue color, but the optical illusion was to make it so it looked slightly different each time you looked at it, when in reality, it wasn't. The statue in the middle was just a stone carved to look like a frozen fire, with the streams crisscrossing from the sides and top while the pressure kept changing from high to low to make it look like a flickering flames. The liquid was a transparent white color, but it definitely did not represent pureness. Whenever you looked at it, you would feel sick; the heaviness on your eyelids, the irritation in your eyes, the clogged chest, the heat in your face...

Clearly, this statue was not made by humans; and, obviously, it wasn't. It was a meeting place made purely for the sake of conversation between me and my father.

Not casual conversation... more like a progress report, and when he needed to give me a new objective; it was father's idea, but had to make the plot and fountain. Egyn brought the liquid in its original form of water from a body of water in his own kingdom, and Astaroth made it the way it was...

The flaming stone suddenly burst to life, and a voice came out of it.

"So, how has your stay in Assiah been, Daughter?"


	5. not a chapter

**I know this isn't an actual story update, but hear me out. I'm typing this on my phone so it's going to be short. I've decided to expand to other sites, and will be moving all my anime fanfictions to a site called ** **over this coming weekend. Also, do not expect many updates in the near future, as my attention is currently on my ROTG story, the Undertale story, and the recent Wolf Among Us story. Please understand. If you would like to adopt a story, PM me as soon as possible. However once you do, I will be permanently taking it off my account, regardless of whether you decide you don't want to continue it.**

**Please understand. Sincerely, ScarletAlexia**


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